Bishop Alfred L. North ruled parts of the document in conflict with established clergy standards. After an extended discussion, the amended resolution was adopted by a two-thirds majority over some strong objections.

Later, the Rev. Elizabeth ''Liz'' Sisco, pastor of Christ United Methodist Church in Levelland, prepared a brief asking the United Methodist Church's Judicial Council for a review of the bishop's decision of law in allowing the resolution.

''I'm very opposed to labeling congregations anything,'' said Sisco, who is also an attorney. ''As far as I'm concerned other descriptives distort what it means to be a United Methodist.''

She informed the bishop of her intention to take her objections through official channels.

''I did write a brief. I was listed as an interested party,'' she said.

In its fall session, the church's highest court ruled in her favor on the issue.

Sisco prepared ground for the appeal when she had asked the bishop for a ruling of law at the conference.

In her brief, she noted differences in the confessional statement given on the Confessing Movement's website and the doctrinal standards named in the church's constitution.

The conference's vote on the resolution has been interpreted by some as a vote to identify with the Confessing Movement, ''a purpose that was never stated on the floor of annual conference in discussion, nor in the resolution itself,'' she wrote in the brief.

''I have not read the decision itself,'' she said, noting that the full opinion has not been released. But from what the news release said, ''it sounds like they granted the relief I asked for. Our resolution would be declared unconstitu-tional.''

Sisco does not like the idea of labels whether it is a church or a conference.

''I felt ostracized with our resolution,'' she said, noting that in the news reports about the Judicial Court's decision, the transforming, confessional and reconciling designations were the ones specifically mentioned.

''Those three terms now are buzzwords because they basically refer to the national movements that are outside the church, not authorized by the General Conference.''

Her brief did not address the issue at the local church level, although she disagrees with choosing particular labels for a church.

''On the West Coast, they talked about being a welcoming congregation,'' she said. Whatever the designation, it is not appropriate at the conference level, Sisco added.

''I don't want any labels,'' she said. "I want us to live with our differences.''

In reference to the church's response to homosexuality, she said, ''the closest answer the Scripture gives us is love. We're not God. We're not always going to be in the right place. We have to struggle with it.

''At the same time, I don't want to be seen as a gay-basher. If I had my way, I would take all that out of the Discipline and say something like: 'We are a conflicted group of people who are struggling to understand God's will, and we as a group can't take a position on this issue.' That's where I see the Methodist Church.

''As a collective decision, I don't think you can impose a position on anybody's conscience; they have a right to struggle with it. You have to live the gospel rather than preach it or impose it.''